Federal Court Sets Trial in $13 Million Lawsuit Against Harry Winston and AIDS Research Foundation (amfAR)

Oct 20, 2016

Federal Court Sets Trial in $13 Million Lawsuit Against Harry Winston and AIDS Research Foundation (amfAR)

Posted By
Obagi Law Group, P.C.

LOS ANGELES, CA – U.S. District Court Judge George H. Wu set trial
in the $13 million lawsuit against Harry Winston and amfAR for August
8, 2017. The case arises out of their multi-year “milestone partnership”.
The case,
Optikal Noize, Inc. v. AAB Productions, et al, C.D. Cal. 2:16-cv-06528, “doesn’t look good” for the
parties, said Judge Wu at the scheduling conference Thursday morning at
the Spring Street Courthouse.

In its complaint, Optikal Noize alleged it helped fuse the unprecedented
joint-venture between Harry Winston and amfAR.
Forbes first reported the deal. News sources indicate that the deal spans 3 years
and is worth $53 million. Optikal Noize claimed that the negotiations
began through it, under a non-disclosure agreement AAB Productions signed
on behalf of itself and as amfAR’s event planner. After a year of
sponsorship negotiations through the creative consultants at Optikal Noize,
the complaint avers that the parties then circumvented their intermediary
and consummated the $53 million deal behind closed doors. None of the
defendants, it is alleged, paid Optikal Noize for its work introducing
and then developing the parties’ relationship.

Zein E. Obagi, Jr., lead counsel for plaintiff Optikal Noize, said, “Our
client, like many other small businesses, depends on other organizations
honoring their agreements with it. They did not want have to bring this
lawsuit to hold accountable a noble organization, like the AIDS Research
Foundation of America (amfAR). It’s early, and we have not yet started
discovery, but so far it seems to be the case of a few big guys stepping
on the little guy who brought them together – and, for no good reason.”

In light of the congestion faced by state courts in California, lawyers
at Obagi Law Group, P.C., representing the plaintiff, say they are pleased
that the defendants removed the case to federal court. “The federal
forum is probably more familiar with issues like international comity
that we expect Harry Winston to assert as we seek discovery of its executive
who retained Optikal Noize. He lives in Switzerland, and purportedly doesn’t
come to the U.S. much. We also appreciate the opportunity to get this
controversy to trial expediently.”

Questions or comments directed at Obagi Law Group, P.C. may be emailed to
support@obagilaw.com or by calling (424) 299-2675.